Organization
Cambodian Awareness Organization (CAO) at UC Irvine
The Cambodian Awareness Organization (CAO) is a student organization at the University of California, Irvine, devoted to Cambodian culture and history.[1][2] It was founded in 2009.[1][2]
History
CAO set out to bring awareness of Cambodian culture and history, to encourage education in Khmer culture and to celebrate the many cultures among its members. Its members raised money for school supplies for children in need in Cambodia, and they worked to build ties among Cambodian student organizations across California.[1]
At the Khmer Student Coalition conference on November 5, 2011, CAO president Melinda Kuoch said the workshops were "a safe space, so we all talk about our opinions."[3]
On May 7, 2022, CAO and the Preserving Khmer Dance Troupe of Youth of Khmer Kampuchea-Krom provided more than 50 greeters and entertainers in traditional costume for the California Science Center's Discovery Ball in Los Angeles, which highlighted the exhibition "Angkor: The Lost Empire of Cambodia." The two groups also gave the guests 700 silk scarves made in Cambodia.[4]
Community
As of 2012, CAO was part of the Khmer Student Coalition (KSC) family and a constituent of the Asian Pacific Student Association (APSA). It was an affiliate of the Cross Cultural Center (CCC) and was associated with the Southeast Asian Student Association (SASA) at UC Irvine, and it built connections with groups on campus and in the wider community.[1] The UC Irvine School of Humanities lists it among the university's Asian American organizations.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Cambodian Awareness Organization at UC Irvine, About us (2012)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 UC Irvine Libraries, Southeast Asian Diaspora Studies research guide
- ↑ KI Media, Khmer students declare themselves 'the ones they've been waiting for' (November 2011)
- ↑ BizBash, Inside the California Science Center's Discovery Ball 2022
- ↑ UC Irvine School of Humanities, Asian American Studies community